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Operation Venezia
|side2= |side3= |side4= |commanders1= |commanders2= |commanders3= |commanders4= |forces1= |forces2= |forces3= |forces4= |casual1= |casual2= |casual3= |casual4= |civilian=}}Rommel's successful attack on Tobruk, Operation Venezia"Rommel was preparing his own Operation Venezia, which he had assured Hitler would this time secure possession of the Western Desert, enabling him to go on to Cairo and Suez." Black Watch, John Paker, Hachette, 2013, started under the cover of darkness of 26/27 May with the 3 German divisions supported by 3 Italian. Rommel had 320 German tanks and 240 Italian tanks for the assault on Tobruk."Rommel's new offensive, Operation Venezia, got under way during the night of 26 May with the 3 German divisions supplemented by 3 Italian. Substantially outnumbered in tanks, infantry and artillery, Rommel had 320 German tanks (240 Pz IIIs, 40 Pz IVs and 40 obsolete Pz IIs) and 240 of the Italian 'self-propelled coffins'." Panzerkrieg: The Rise and Fall of Hitler's Tank Divisions, Mike Syron, Hachette, 2013 The British had 900 tanks for the defence of Tobruk, including 250 Crusaders and 200 of the new American-built Grant tanks with 75mm guns. ‘Fortress Tobruk’ was under the command of Major-General H Klopper, commander of the 2nd South African Division. Klopper had at his disposal about 35,000 men and a total of 2,000 military vehicles. Supplies of all sorts were designed to last for 3 months. Battle plan After Rommel's Second Desert Offensive in the first months of 1942, the British Commonwealth forces had retreated to the defensive line near Gazala, 30 miles outside Tobruk. With his troops exhausted and needing tanks and supplies, Rommel was unable to advance any further. With both armies now having secure supply lines (Bengazi for the Axis and Tobruk for the Allies), both sides dug in an awaited reinforcements. The Gazala Line consisted of a series of fortified "boxes", each defended by a brigade. Deployed in the north was the 1st South African Division, with the British 50th Infantry Division to the south of the South Africans. Guarding the southern flank, was the 1st Free French Brigade, dug into a box almost 50 miles from the coast. The British armored divisions were deployed in reserve, behind the South African, British and French infantry, with the 1st and 32nd Tank Brigades supporting the British and South Africans, while the 1st and 7th Armoured Divisions supported the French. Also in place were thousands of mines and miles of wire, mostly taken from the Tobruk defenses. The British plan was to remain in position and build their tank strength up until they had at least a 3-2 advantage over the German armoured divisions. At that point, the British armoured divisions would attack Rommel's forces. With the successful Italian "battleship convoys" (under Admiral Angelo Iachino), almost all supplies and reinforcements for Rommel in April and May got through. With these reinforcements, Rommel was not only able to rebuild his panzer divisions, but actually had tank reserves at the beginning of his offensive, named Operation Venezia. Rommel's battle plan was a familiar one, with the Italian infantry launching a diversionary attack in the north, while the armoured divisions swept around the southern flank. While the Italian Ariete Armoured Division attacked the Free French forces at Bir Hacheim, the 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions would advance south of the Ariete and engage the British armoured divisions, destroying them and then advancing north to the coast, destroying as many trapped Allied divisions in the process. Tobruk was expected to fall in the confusion. Meanwhile, the 90th Light Division would penetrated deep in the south before heading north outside Tobruk, preventing British supplies and reinforcements getting to the battle zone. The Italian Trieste Motorized Infantry Division was tasked with clearing a corridor through the minefields south of Bir Hacheim and guard it as a supply line for the German panzer divisions. Although Auchinleck agreed to be more aggressive and launch an offensive to re-capture Cyrenaica, Rommel again ruined his plans and forced the British Commonwealth forces into the defensive. The Cauldron On 26 May 1942, General Rommel launched his attack on the Gazala Line. He first sent the Italian divisions along the coastal road which was the expected Axis attack route. Rommel knew that British headquarters would expect the assault from the coast and attacked with most of his Afrika Korps at the southern flank of the Gazala Line. His strategy worked and the Indian 3rd Brigade and British 7th Motor Brigade were overrun and General Frank Messervy (commander of the British 7th Armoured division) was captured."By the early morning of 27 May Rommel's armour had swept round Bir Hacheim, scattered 3 Indian and 7 Motor Brigades and had overrun HQ 7 Armoured Division, capturing General Messervy and his senior staff officer." Blood, Sweat and Arrogance, Gordon Corrigan, Hachette, 2013On 28 May, however, the German armoured divisions were cut off from supplies and near collapse. The area in which he had placed his panzer divisions was to be called the ‘cauldron’ for very good reasons. When a captured British officer, Major Archer-Shee complained to Rommel about water rations for POW’s, Rommel stated that the prisoners were getting the same ration of water as men in the Afrika Korps – half-a-cup a day. Major Archer-Shee later revealed that Rommel admitted: "But I agree that we cannot go on like this. If we don’t get a convoy through tonight I shall have to ask General Ritchie for terms.” Afrika Korps General Fritz Bayerlein confirmed the situation:: “We were in a really desperate situation, our backs against a minefield, no food, no water, no petrol, very little ammunition, no way through the mines for our convoys; Bir Hakeim still holding out and preventing our supplies from the south. We were being attacked all the time from the air.” ''The British failed to take advantage of Rommel's situation. The ''Trieste Motorized Division cleared a path in the minefields to deliver much needed fuel and water to the trapped Afrika Korps"At this time the British thought they had Rommel cornered and he himself contemplated surrender, but the Italian 'Trieste' Division managed to open a route through the minefield and get a supply column to him." Engagements - 1942and Rommel launched another attack that destroyed the British 150th Infantry Brigade in Sidi Muftah. In the meantime, the Ariete Armoured Division defeated British armoured attacks rear near Sidra Ridge."Ariete repelled repeated British tank attacks on the 29th, delivered with great bravery but little coordination. Italian 88mm and 90mm anti-aircraft guns, used in an anti-tank role, destroyed dozens of British tanks." Ariete at Gazala Operation Aberdeen A major attack by the 8th Army against Rommel started on 5 June – ‘Operation Aberdeen’. Unfortunately it was poorly executed and uncoordinated and led to heavy losses in the British 8th Army – 6,000 killed or wounded, 150 tanks lost and 4,000 POW’s. Tank battalions attacked hidden German 88mm anti-aircraft guns and without proper tanks support, the infantry formations that followed suffered heavy casualties. Near Sidra Ridge, the British attacked the Ariete again but failed to defeat the Italian division.. Bir Hakeim After the destruction of the British 150th Infantry Brigade on 1 June, the Italians attacked Bir Hakeim but their attempt to capture the fort failed. Shortly after Aberdeen, the Germans reinforced the attack on Bir Hakeim and on 10 June, short of supplies and attacked from the air by Stukas, the French defenders withdrew. Although some 1,000 French soldiers were captured, over 3,000 escaped under the cover of darkness. With this success, Rommel had destroyed 50% of the Gazala Line. By June 14th, General Ritchie contemplated withdrawing to the Egyptian frontier to give the British 8th Army time to reorganize. However, such a move would have abandoned the South Africans. Auchinleck sent out an order from Cairo – “Tobruk must be held”. Knightsbridge On 12 June, the British 4th and 22nd Armoured Brigades were caught between the 15th and 21st Panzer Division while attacking the anti-tank gun screen from the Trieste Division."Bismarck and Nehring struck on June 12 and their timing was perfect. The distinguished British historian Correlli Barnett called the ensuing battle the greatest defeat in the history of the British armor. When the British XIII Corps commander, General Norrie, realized what was happening, he sent the 22nd Armoured Brigade to rescue the trapped 7th Armoured. The 22nd, however, was pinned down by the Italian Trieste Motorized Division and was taken in the rear by Bismarck and the 21st Panzer. It retreated with heavy losses. Bismarck then returned to the Battle of Knightsbridge, where he, Nehring, and Rommel crushed the 7th Armoured." Rommel's Lieutenants: The Men Who Served The Desert Fox, Samuel W. Mitcham, p. 98, Praeger, 2006The British armoured brigades suffered heavy losses. This British defeat, left Rommel in complete possession of the Gazala Line, although part of the Scots Guards were able to withdraw from the Knightsbridge Box in good order. On 16 June, the Italian divisions cleared the remaining Allied defences, capturing 6,000 British Commonwealth troops."The Italians finished mopping up the Gazala Line on June 16, capturing 6,000 prisoners, thousands of tons of supplies, and entire convoys of undamaged vehicles in the process". The Rise of the Wehrmacht: The German Armed Forces and World War, 2 Volumes, p.564, Samuel W. Mitcham, Praeger, 2008 Tobruk falls The South African defenders, despite a valiant stand by the 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles"Among them were the entire 2/7th Gurkhas who had fought nonstop for two days until, isolated from the rest, their ammunition simply ran out." The Gurkhas, John Parker, Hachette, 2013, were not able to repulse Rommel's forces. At 08.00 on 20 June, Rommel attacked Tobruk. By 10.00 am, the Afrika Korps had penetrated nearly 3 kilometres of the defensive positions around Tobruk. Concrete strongpoints were overrun and by 7 pm the 21st Panzers were actually in Tobruk. The port fell on 21 June, one day after Rommel launched the attack. Unable to resist any longer, South African General Henrik Klopper ordered his men to surrender early on the morning of the 21st. The 2nd Battalion Cameron Highlanders fought for another 24 hours, before reluctantly agreeing to lay down their arms."The Camerons held out for another twenty-four hours, before being granted the honours of war, and the 2/7th Gurkha Rifles saw no need to surrender at all and tried to make their way back to Egypt on foot along the coast. Almost the whole of the Italian XX Corps had to be employed in rounding them up, and the last were not caught until four days later, a hundred miles away in the Sollum area." Blood, Sweat and Arrogance, Gordon Corrigan, Hachette, 2013 The Axis suffered 3,360 casualties, while Rommel took more than 30,000 prisoners, 30 tanks, 400 guns, 2,000 vehicles and 2,000 tons of fuel. The British defeat encouraged US President Franklin D. Roosevelt to send 250 new Sherman tanks to help out in the North African Campaign. References Category:North African Campaign Category:1941 Category:1940